For Love's Sake
by Kazuma Prime
Summary: Ash comes to a shocking conclusion after reviewing the video someone wants him dead. But who it is may be even more shocking. And can he protect Bianca now that she's a target as well? Mareshipping [See author profile for story future]
1. The Spun Threads of Fate

Disclaimer: As with all my fics, I don't own ANYTHING but the plot. Also, my stories are fireproof, so save you're flames. Thank you.

SS30: The first time I saw Pokemon Heroes; it was only a few parts of it, the first time I saw most of it was on a Saturday while my family went camping. I had to say, I liked the character of Bianca and thought she'd be a good hook up for Ash, but then I found out that it was mostly Latias that was the other half of the Altoshipping fandom. Then I got to thinking, that even if she were to stay in human form, unless she turned human herself, it wouldn't really work out in the long run. I won't go into the heavy details, but after I put that thought to rest, I sat down and re-thought the idea, as I liked Bianca out of all the previous Pokemon movie girls thus far. So what I came up with, was that what if Ash went on to train by himself after the Sinnoh League, and revisited the Johto region, and happened upon Bianca, and what if it really was Bianca at the end of Pokemon Heroes, and not Latias in human form? So that's where this is going to center on. It takes place 4 years after Sinnoh, when Ash is about 18. I'm putting Bianca as 18 as well, but she's a bit shorter than Ash. Also, I'm cutting character involvement down to a bare minimum, as too many characters kinda sidetrack the story. Also, trainers will have at most 4 Pokemon with them.

Ash: 18

Bianca: 18

Gary: 18

Melody: 18

Morty: 24

Jasmine: 23

It was a sunny day in the Johto region as a young man walked toward the port town of Olivine City. His name was Ash Ketchum, a fairly lean and somewhat muscular Pokemon trainer. He was now in his 8th year as a Pokemon trainer, by high school standards he would be a senior and in his graduating year, which is what he felt like. He knew that if he could become strong enough, even if he didn't officially become a Pokemon Master by defeating the Elite Four, he could still be the strongest ever. And Ash knew that he was getting closer to the plateau in his training, where he wouldn't be getting any stronger and any Pokemon he trained from that point on would be a breeze. Standing 6' 2", he could give any guy looking for a fight a run for his money.

Traveling with Ash was none other than his old pal Pikachu, and 3 of his first ever Pokemon. Deciding he didn't need to always carry 6 with him, he kept and used 4 Pokemon. Those Pokemon were Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Though the latter had not evolved, they were as strong as they're evolved forms, maybe even more so. Ash knew that when the time came, they would evolve, so he never pushed them into it.

Ash was currently sporting a black vest, white t-shirt, baggy jeans, white and black shoes, and his original green gloves. However, he had decided against wearing any kind of hat, as he was at the point in a young man's life where he didn't WANT to hide his hair. His hair was now in a longer, spikier look to it, but still was short enough to maintain. Even though he still retained a bit of his old density, he had matured quite a bit in the last 4 years since Sinnoh. While the others went on to become what they had set out to do, Ash was still attaining his dream, a dream that he would continue to live until the day he died.

"Hmm, smell that fresh ocean breeze Pika-pal" Ash sighed as he closed his eyes and took in the fresh scent.

"Cha!" The electric mouse replied, copying his trainer.

As they relaxed from their journey, Ash had an idea and pulled out an orange and white Pokeball from his back most belt loop on his pants. "Charizard, come on out!"

Throwing the device, white light erupted, taking the form of a large, orange fire-dragon. Charizard roared its' distinctive cry as it spouted a ball of flame from its mouth, yawning as he stretched his muscles. "Hey Zard, wanna go for a fly?" Ash asked.

Nodding in reply, Charizard let his trainer and Pikachu climb on before taking off into the air. (A/N: Charizard throughout the series was only about 7 to 8 feet tall. I'm guessing by now Charizard has grown to about 11 to 12 feet tall, wingspan of up to 26 feet in diameter.)

As they ascended and headed toward the ocean, it gave the trainer time to think.

Man, I still can't believe that it's been 4 years since I last saw anyone. I mean, I see them at holidays when I travel back to Pallet and stuff, but for the most part, I'm just too busy to really have anything or anyone in my life. As much as I hate to admit it, maybe I'm better off sticking alone, with just Pikachu and my three buds. Then again, I could always use just one person with me. Maybe someone I haven't seen in awhile…if only…

As the air rushed by them, they flew down to the surface of the water, where various Water Pokemon jumped out of the sea as they followed the fire/flying type. While passing a nearby cliff, Ash looked over and it seemed as though time froze. There, on the cliff was none other than…

"Is that…Bianca?" he said to himself. Of course, Ash was too busy focusing on the girl, waving as he saw her waving to him, then suddenly Charizard roared in pain and all three of them plunged headlong into the sea below. Ash knew Charizard probably wouldn't survive if it went in the sea, thus he managed to recall his Pokemon into its ball and put it to his belt. Hugging Pikachu close, they plunged faster toward the seas. He could have sworn he heard Bianca's voice scream out as he impacted the water and remembered nothing more.

**10 minutes beforehand**

"Ah, it's sooo good to be on the mainland at last. I never thought I would actually get to be here."

The young brunette known as Bianca Duea (A/N: Her last name is made up and it's pronounced as dew, like Mt. Dew, sorry was the best I could come up with.)was walking along a path leading out of Olivine. After spending most of her life in Altomare, she was sad to leave, yet at the same time happy to finally see more of the outside world.

She was sporting an olive colored shirt with a white collar, a white skirt and pink shoes with black socks. She had decided against wearing her traditional white cap, and her hair was in a slightly different style. She had grown it out some and lost the two peaks of hair that looked like those from Latias, however the two parts of curled hair still framed her face. Her figure had become more noticeable, getting quite a few looks from the guys AND girls, more of lust from the former and jealousy from the latter.

Bianca sighed in relief as she reached a deserted cliff overlooking the bay of Olivine City. She felt the cool breeze blow through her hair as she closed her eyes, the sun warming her face. The young artist soon heard a distant roar, opening her eyes and scanning the horizon for the creature. She soon discovered its source; a somewhat large Charizard with a young man on it's back, which she assumed to be its trainer. At first, she didn't give it much notice, that is until she took another look through her binoculars. Her mouth opened somewhat in shock; the face was none other than Ash Ketchum. Seeing the Pikachu beside him, Bianca knew without a doubt it was _he, _the one she had so longed to see once more. Back during the Altomare incident, she had grown secretly jealous of Latias and Ash's relationship, even if it wasn't REALLY a relationship.

_Why is it that all my friends, even my Pokemon friends, can get a guy but I can't? Am I really that bad looking? Do guys despise me so much? _Bianca thought sadly. She snapped out of her thoughts as she called to Ash and waved. He waved back and she smiled till she noticed something wrong with Charizard. Before she could think much more of it, she heard the dragon roar in pain and she watched in horror as the three of them plunged to the sea. She saw Ash recall Charizard to its ball and as he impacted the water she screamed out his name and then ran down to the beach.

"ASH!"

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	2. Where Is My Happiness?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.

Bianca ran as fast as she could down to the beach and the closest spot where the young trainer had slammed into the water. She was sure he was hurt, maybe even worse than that. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts, not wanting to even think about something like that. As she got to the beach, the young girl stumbled on the sand, but regained her footing, running down to the water. Bianca scanned the horizon for any sign of her friend.

"Ash! Where are you? Can you hear me?! Ash!" she shouted.

She continued looking, looking down as she felt her eyes tear up, thinking it really was true. _Please no…_she thought to herself, a single tear rolling down her cheek and dropping onto the sand. Just then, she heard Pikachu's voice over the waves. Her head shot up and she saw Ash floating face down in the water. Gasping, she dropped her bag and ran into the surf, diving in and swimming over to him. Grabbing his under his arm, she pulled him and Pikachu back onto the beach and away from the water. Bianca could see he was badly hurt, but was more afraid that he wasn't breathing.

"Ash please!" she cried as she grabbed his face and clamped her mouth onto his, breathing air into his lungs as Pikachu bounced up and down onto his chest, both of them giving him CPR. At last, Ash coughed up salt water as he began breathing on his own. Bianca looked at him worriedly.

"Ash? Are you alright?" she asked.

He coughed a bit more, then opened his eyes slightly, his vision a little blurry at first before evening out. "Bi…anca? Is…that you?" he asked weakly.

She nodded as she smiled; a few tears rolling down her face. Hugging him close, as she was so happy, she wasn't aware of how badly he was hurt. Ash hissed in pain as Bianca pulled back. "Ash!" she said. He tried sitting up as paramedics finally arrived. Lightly pushing Bianca aside, they stabilized Ash as best they could before putting him on a stretcher and ran back up the beach, Bianca following carrying Pikachu and Ash's bag.

_Ash…you have to be ok…you have to! _Bianca screamed in her mind.

**Olivine City Hospital**

Bianca sat out in the waiting room, along with Jasmine, the Olivine City Gym Leader, and Pikachu. Jasmine Steel had seen Ash plummet into the sea from the Lighthouse and instantly phoned 911. She then ran down toward the beach but got there just as Bianca climbed into the back with Pikachu. She looked over at the worried girl.

"Don't worry Bianca, he'll be ok. You were able to get him to start breathing again," she said reassuringly. But Bianca still wasn't convinced and she hugged Pikachu close. Jasmine smiled lightly at her as she pulled her into a hug. "You like him, don't you?"

Bianca blushed lightly and shook her head. "No no no! Were just friends! I mean, we only met one time before all this," Bianca said.

Jasmine laughed lightly at this, before smirking at her. "Welll, you know. It only takes one meeting between two people."

Bianca frowned lightly, then closed her eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I guess so…I admit, when I saw the bond between Ash and Latias, it made me jealous. All my life, I've seen guys get together with other girls and have at least SOMETHING. But not me, I've always been nothing but a loner, an outsider looking in."

"So it's true then, Ash can get any girl he wants."

Both girls turned around and saw two people walking toward them. As they got closer, Jasmine saw it was Morty Phantom, the Ecruteak City Gym Leader, and Gary Oak. She went up to Morty and both of them hugged, him putting his arm around her. "Is he gonna be ok?" Morty asked.

Jasmine looked down and shook her head. "We don't know yet."

Gary looked over at Bianca. "So you're his girlfriend?"

Bianca glared at Gary. "N-no, I'm just a friend!" she grumbled back.

Gary shrugged as he took a seat over in a far corner, his Umbreon laying down at his feet. An hour later, a doctor came out and everyone looked up. Bianca stood up and went over to him. "Well?" she asked hurriedly.

"He'll be ok. We'll have to keep him in the hospital at least over night to make sure there aren't any further complications, but he has no serious injuries other than a few cuts and bruises. You can go see him if you like, just be quiet," he said.

Bianca looked at the others, but Morty just waved her off. "You go ahead, we can see him tomorrow. It's getting late and we need to go take care of our Pokemon anyway," he said as he got up with Jasmine and led her out. Gary was fast asleep so no one bothered with him. The artist made her way back to his room and went inside closing the door behind her. Pikachu went over to his master's side and Ash put his hand up and petted his head. Looking over he saw Bianca standing in the doorway. She went over to a chair sitting near his bed and pulled it up to his side.

She looked at him and then looked away before speaking.

"Hey…" she said quietly.

"Hey Bianca…long time no see."

"Yeah…are you…feeling ok?" she asked.

"Well I feel like I got sat on by Snorlax, but other than that I'm fine."

He chuckled at his own joke but then looked back at her, seeing her eyes were watering.

"Bianca? What's wrong?"

"I…I was…really…I was really worried about you!" she said before getting up and burying her head in his shoulder. Ash was surprised at this as he felt her sob hard into his shoulder. He put his arms around her and held her close, running his hand through her hair as Pikachu got off the bed and curled up into a nearby chair. Climbing onto the bed with him, she curled up against him and looked up at him.

"Do you remember…do you still have that drawing I gave you?" she asked.

Ash looked at her funny before his eyes shot open in shock.

"Wait a minute…that…that was you?! You…you're the one that…" he asked in amazement.

She nodded before continuing. "Latias wanted to, but was too upset to see you go. She was really broken up after you left but she eventually moved on. Not surprisingly there are a lot more Latias and Latios in the world than we originally thought. Latias left Altomare about a year ago to go out and see the world. I got a call from my grandfather about a month ago, saying she was back with a mate."

"Well then that's great, I'm glad she was able to find someone," Ash said before looking back at Bianca. Both of them blushed, their faces were really close, Bianca moving closer to him. "Ash…I'm really glad you're ok. When I saw you and Latias together, it made me really jealous. All my friends, even the Pokemon ones, were able to find someone to love. But not me…maybe its cause guys don't love me."

Ash looked at her in disbelief. "Bianca, that's not true…you're…you're very beautiful," Ash said, almost unable to finish the last part. Bianca turned again toward him. "…do you really mean that?" she asked quietly. Moving closer, she locked lips with him and held him close. Ash was surprised to say the least at what Bianca did, but returned the kiss nonetheless. After several minutes, she pulled back and looked down at him, before hugging him and whispering into his ear the three words she didn't think she could or would say to any guy.

"I…I love you."

Ash looked at her in complete surprise. He opened his mouth to say something, but wasn't really able to say much for a few minutes. She blinked, afraid that he would hate her now. She got up to leave, but Ash pulled her back toward him.

"Bianca…do you really mean that?" he asked.

She nodded without any hesitation, which Ash looked out the window for a few seconds before looking back at her.

"Bianca, I don't wanna say something I don't mean, so can you just give me sometime to think this over? You really dropped a bomb on me there and it'll take some time for me to sort all this out. Please understand," Ash said to her.

"Ok Ash, I'll do it," Bianca said, sad that she didn't get quite the answer she wanted, but happy that he was at least going to think it over. Snuggling up to him, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Looking down at her, Ash pulled a blanket over her and put his arm around her, smelling the scent of her hair as it drifted into his nose. He blushed as he thought of how beautiful she was.

_Hmm…maybe…having Bianca as a girlfriend wouldn't be so bad…still…I should think it out…give it some time before saying anything. Gotta make sure I do this right, don't wanna hurt her feelings. _Ash thought as he began drifting off to sleep. The quiet hum of a machine in the room was all that was heard as the two plus Pikachu slumbered all throughout the night.

At some point, Bianca opened her eyes, checking to make sure Ash was still breathing. Looking out the window she sighed as she laid her head back on his chest and shut her eyes.

_Everyone else can be happy…why can't I be?_

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	3. Destiny for Two

Ok, so people aren't really reviewing my stories that much. If you want this to keep going, then send me you're thoughts. Your input is greatly appreciated so please don't just read the story, REVIEW IT too. Thanks.

Disclaimer: Only the plot belongs to me.

Ash slowly opened his eyes as the light of sunrise peeked through the window. He blinked as the sun was in his eyes, Pikachu having already awoken, closed the blinds a bit. The trainer nodded in thanks and when he tried to get up, that's when he noticed the third party in the room. He glanced down at the still sleeping Bianca and remembered the night's previous events. Ash sighed as he remembered what Bianca had said to him

Flashback

_Ash looked at her in disbelief. "Bianca, that's not true…you're…you're very beautiful," Ash said, almost unable to finish the last part. Bianca turned again toward him. "…do you really mean that?" she asked quietly. Moving closer, she locked lips with him and held him close. Ash was surprised to say the least at what Bianca did, but returned the kiss nonetheless. After several minutes, she pulled back and looked down at him, before hugging him and whispering into his ear the three words she didn't think she could or would say to any guy._

"_I…I love you."_

End flashback

He sighed in defeat, not knowing what to do. He crossed his arms while sitting up, careful to make sure as not to awake the sleeping girl as she snuggled up close to him. Ash closed his eyes and thought carefully.

"Ok, so let's think this through Ketchum. What are the positives of having Bianca with you? Well, she's beautiful, funny, smart, a quick-thinker, and might be able to help out in a bad situation. Plus I could use some human company on my journey…

_On the other hand, I don't want her coming along on the false pretense that I do love her back, when I might not…which…do I love her? That's a tough one…I have to admit, I did really like her back when I was traveling with Misty and Brock, but still I don't know if it was enough for me to fall head over heels for the girl._

_Then again, maybe I DO love her and I just haven't realized it yet. I suppose I could let her come along, at least ask where she's going before telling her my decision. That way, I'll know for sure if she and I have any future of anything together."_

Ash opened his eyes after feeling a slight breath hit his face. He fell back in shock when he saw a pair of hazel eyes staring back at him. The young trainer blinked as Bianca giggled at him, helping him back off the floor as she smirked at him.

"Aw, did I scare you?" she said.

He scratched his head and shook his head while half-heartedly glowering at her in a humorous way.

Later that day, the doctors cleared Ash to leave and soon he, Bianca, Pikachu, Morty, and Jasmine left the hospital. Ash glanced at Morty and Jasmine holding hands and it dawned on him.

"Wait a minute, Morty are you and Jasmine going out?" he asked.

Morty scratched his head and looked away embarrassed while Jasmine blushed. "Y-yeah Ash, we have," he said nervously.

"For how long?"

"…couple months or so," the Ghost-Gym Leader falsely admitted. Jasmine huffed at him, frowning and turning toward him slowly. Morty quickly shook his hands in front of him. "I-I mean more like a year!" he said. Jasmine smiled sweetly at this as Morty sighed in relief as she headed back to her gym.

"See you later Ash! Make sure to stop by sometime and visit!" she shouted.

"Will do!" he replied. Ash and Bianca then turned to Morty, but before they could ask he held up a hand.

"Please…for the dear love of Ho-oh don't ask. She has her sweet side, but MAN. Do. NOT, piss that woman off," he said as he trailed behind her.

Ash looked after him as he disappeared from sight, looking at Bianca weirdly. "What was that about?" he asked.

"It's a couple-thing Ash. You wouldn't really understand unless you were in one," Bianca said matter-of-factly as she skipped along, but Ash grabbed her wrist. "Hold on Bianca, something's been bothering me."

"What is it Ash?"

"It's about Charizard. About how he just fell out of the sky like that," he said seriously.

She nodded, remembering how the dragon just dropped like a rock.

"I can answer that question Ashy-boy," Gary said as he popped up behind Ash. The latter trainer grit his teeth in frustration at the smug, yet serious rival of his. "What do you want Gary?" he demanded. "Aw now Ash, is that anyway to greet an old friend? Especially one who has info on what caused your accident?"

"Ashy-boy? That you?" a feminine voice spoke up. Everyone turned to where a brunette girl in a pink tank top and blue tight jeans walked up beside Gary, who put his arm around her.

"Wha?! Melody? What are you doing here? And why are you with…oh for the love of don't tell me you're going out with Gary!" Ash exclaimed.

"She and I met while I was traveling around the Orange Islands. After that we kept in touch and ran into one another when she was in Kanto for a week. From that point on, we hooked up and been with each other ever since," Gary stated.

"Well, it's nice to see you again Melody," Ash said.

"Yeah, you too Ashy-boy," the girl replied, making Ash grumble at his hated nickname.

"Ashy…boy?" Bianca asked before giggling, fighting the urge to burst out laughing.

"Bianca…don't you dare start too…" Ash growled in frustration.

Gary handed Ash a DVD case, which he looked at in confusion. "What's this?"

"It's a security recording from warehouse on the bay front. Thing is, it's got something on there you might wanna see. I'm not gonna spoil the surprise for ya so I'll just be on my way. I'll be over at the local hotel if you need us, figured that'd be where you guys are staying so I saved us two rooms," Gary said.

"Uh…thanks Gary," Ash said.

Gary waved it off as usual. "Eh, don't mention it. We'll see you guys around," he said.

"Oh by the way Ash, I'm sorry about the whole thing on Shamouti," Melody said as they left.

Bianca then turned to Ash. "Ash…tell me the truth…is she an ex-girlfriend of yours?"

The said trainer looked at her weirdly. "No, I've never had a girlfriend in my life Bianca…why?"

"Cause it just seems like you two have kissed or something in the past."

"Well, she was part of this ceremony thing back on Shamouti Island, where she gave me this 'welcome kiss' for the Chosen One," he replied. Bianca looked offended, so Ash shook his head.

"Nononono, it wasn't THAT kind of a kiss, not like what you gave me last night," he said quickly, making Bianca blush at the last statement. "It was more like on the cheek, and I hadn't even met her for more than like 5 minutes when she did that."

"Oh, well I suppose that's ok," she said, Ash breathing a sigh of relief.

The last thing I need is for her to get upset over something as trivial as a kiss on the cheek…

Ash looked at Bianca once more. "Bianca, why don't we head back to the hotel and I can look at this video Gary gave me. Then I can tell you what I've decided," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me," she said, taking his hand and walking with him back to the hotel. When they got back, it was around dinnertime, and Gary offered to pick something up from a KFC down the road for the group.

"Bianca, why don't you go with Gary and Melody and get something for us. I'm going to stay here and rest, that ok?" he said to her.

"Yeah…are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah you go ahead, I'll be right here when you get back."

"Ok," she said, going over to him and kissing his lips lightly before running out the door after the other two. Ash sat frozen for a minute before Pikachu pushed his trainer lightly.

(Hey, snap out of it lover boy!) Pikachu said.

"Huh? I don't love her!" Ash said as he finally blushed.

(Yeah right!) Pikachu said as it ran into the bathroom.

Grumbling, Ash put the DVD in the player and pressed play. Unaware, of what the DVD would reveal…

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Thanks; next chappie will be up soon.


	4. Despair's Quickening

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the plot of course.

"Bianca, why don't you go with Gary and Melody and get something for us. I'm going to stay here and rest, that ok?" he said to her.

"Yeah…are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah you go ahead, I'll be right here when you get back."

"Ok," she said, going over to him and kissing his lips lightly before running out the door after the other two. Ash sat frozen for a minute before Pikachu pushed his trainer lightly.

(Hey, snap out of it lover boy!) Pikachu said.

"Huh? I don't love her!" Ash said as he finally blushed.

(Yeah right!) Pikachu said as it ran into the bathroom.

Grumbling, Ash put the DVD in the player and pressed play. The screen on the tv came to life as it showed from a fixed position, the waterfront. In the screen, he could make out several warehouse workers unloading packages from a truck. In the background, he could see up in the sky a Charizard, which was his. He watched for a several seconds before he noticed something he hadn't seen before. A small black speck could be seen on the surface of the water, approximately one mile off shore. What happened next answered his question of what caused Charizard to crash into the ocean. A Gyrados, easily seen next to the black dot, popped out of the water and an orange beam shot out of it's mouth. However, from what Ash could see, Charizard was only grazed by the beam, thus sending the dragon plummeting toward the water. Ash soon turned off the tv, taking the DVD out and putting it back in it's case before walking over to the window and looking out toward the ocean.

_So…this means that somebody used a trained Gyrados to use Hyper Beam on Charizard. If that beam had hit dead on…well, I probably wouldn't be thinking right now…_

He glanced down at the DVD, when a sudden, sickening thought came to his mind.

_Wait a minute…if they attacked me…then they must have seen Bianca come and retrieve me…if they know about who she is…_

Without any more hesitation, he spun around on the spot, grabbing his belt with all his Pokeballs and slapped it around his waist. He was busy putting his shoes on when Pikachu came out of the bathroom. "Pikachu, come on! We have to find Bianca right now!" Ash exclaimed. The small electric mouse looked at him oddly, before being hoisted onto his master's shoulder and holding on for dear life as Ash bolted out the door, locking it behind him and running down the hallway.

_Please Bianca, be ok…_

Ash rushed down the streets, looking this way and that for Bianca, calling out her name as he made his way into the city. Unknown to him, a man in his thirties was also looking for the girl, a man from Ash's past that had come back to haunt him.

Bianca was waiting in line with Gary and Melody as they ordered their food. She was looking outside, boredly as she saw Ash run by the window. Waving to him to get his attention, he saw her and rushed inside. Grabbing her, he pulled her to the side as he breathed heavy from running hard.

"Ash? What are you doing here? I thought you were gonna wait back at the hotel," Bianca said.

"I had to come find you and make sure you were ok," he said after catching his breath.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked him. "Because, I figured out that someone _attacked _us Bianca."

"What? Attacked you?"

"Yeah, I saw a recording of that day. It shows a Gyrados using a Hyper Beam on Charizard. And next to it is a submarine or a boat," he said. Bianca looked at him oddly before nodding her head. "Well…even so, why does it concern me?" she asked. "Because…whoever attacked me, wants me dead. That Hyper Beam only grazed Charizard. Had it hit…well I wouldn't be here right now."

Bianca looked at him wide-eyed before moving closer to him. "God…I didn't know…I didn't even see the attack and I was looking right at you…" she said. "The sun could have blocked the attack from being seen from where you were."

"Maybe…" she said in thought. Ash grabbed her wrist and started pulling her to the door, when he saw someone he never thought he'd never see again, more like he hoped he'd never see again. There, standing at the door, was Lawrence III, the Pokemon Collector who nearly destroyed the world with his greed. Ash growled as Lawrence walked by, both of their eyes catching one another as he passed by. Bianca looked at him oddly, getting an odd feeling from him, causing her to grab onto Ash's arm for protection as he made his way to the counter. Without any more wait, Bianca told Gary and Melody they'd be waiting back at the hotel before both her and Ash rushed out the door, leaving the couple blinking after them before turning back to the counter. Lawrence watched the others leave, turning back to the counter and completing his order. As he turned to get his drink, he grinned. "Run all you want…it shall do you no good little girl."

Ash burst into the hotel room with Bianca and locked the door behind him. Bianca went over to the bed and laid down, out of breath as Ash went over next to her and held her. The artist turned to him and looked at him. "Ash, what is it?"

"I…I was really worried about you…" he said. "I was really afraid…that someone would try something…"

Bianca was surprised that Ash would feel this way, after having told her only a few nights ago that he wasn't in love with her. She put a hand to his face and looked him in the eyes. "You don't have to worry about me, I'll be ok."

Without saying another word, Ash kissed Bianca, holding her close as he felt her moan in his mouth and run a hand through his hair. Pikachu, having been ignored this whole time, shrugged and went exploring the room for any ketchup packets that might have been missed. After a few more minutes, an angry knock was heard, Ash and Bianca pulling away and Ash jumping up, Pikachu coming to his Master's aide. A few seconds later, Gary's voice could be heard coming from the other side.

"HEY! OPEN THE FRIGGIN DOOR! OR YOU CAN FORGET DINNER!"

Ash breathed a sigh of relief before going over and looking through the peep hole. After seeing seeing only Gary and Melody, Gary carrying a ton of food with him, Ash opened the door and let them in. He looked up and down the hallway and after being satisfied, he closed and heavily locked the door, putting a chair up against it as well. Melody looked on as he did this, Ash pulling her aside and talking to her privately.

"Melody, he's here. I don't know how the hell he found me, but he's here, in Olivine."

"What are you talking about? Who's here?" she asked.

"Lawrence, that Collector that captured Moltres and Zapdos, and tried to get Lugia and Articuno!" he hissed. Melody looked at him in shock. "Are you sure? Where did you see him?"

"He was at the restaurant," he replied, causing Melody to gasp as she recalled the man. "Oh dear Ho-oh you're right! But why is he here?"

"He's after me. From what I can tell, he wants revenge for me causing his precious fortress to crash on Lightning Island," he said darkly.

"But that wasn't you, that was Moltres and Zapdos' fault!" Melody said desprately, not wanting to think that it was possible. "Perhaps, but they wouldn't have brought it down if I hadn't set them free," he said, finally sinking the last nail in the coffin.

"I guess you're right…but what are you going to do?" she asked.

"If Lawrence is looking for a fight, I say bring it. My Pokemon are strong enough to take him down, once and for all…even if that was his Gyrados that downed Charizard, it was nothing more than a cheap sneak attack." He said to her, also adding that the attack was strong enough to kill him. Melody looked at him with worry, before hugging him and pulling back. "Don't worry, if worse comes to worse, Gary and I will help you." Ash nodded in thanks and went back out into the main room. Gary and Bianca were already eating, along with Pikachu.

"What were you guys doing?" Gary asked. "Ash just told me about the video…" Melody said. Gary nodded in reply as Ash and Melody joined the others and began to eat. "Oh and Gary, before I forget," Melody said, reaching over and hitting the back of his head.

"Ow! Hey, what'd I do?!" he cried. "That's for being so rude at the door!" she said. They both glared at each other before turning back to their dinner.

Later on, Gary and Melody bid the two good night and returned to their own room, Pikachu having already gone to bed in a far corner. That left Bianca and Ash alone on a bed together. They both laid back, holding each other. Ash looked down at her, running a hand through her hair as she began to doze off. He blushed as he fell for her right then and there.

"Bianca…I know you can't hear me…but I just wanted to let you know…that I love you…" he said, kissing the top of her head. "And I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you."

Before he could say anymore, Ash heard a loud rap at the door. Disentangling himself from her arms, Ash left Bianca's side and went over to the door. Looking through the peephole, he saw nothing. Opening the door, he looked down the hallway, turning toward the other end before getting knocked out of the room by a blow to the head. He fell into the hallway as he was wrapped in vines and pulled toward his captor. The darkness concealed his attacker, though he could guess it was probably an Ivysaur, the dull light from the moon piercing through the skylight. He heard footsteps, and then heard the voice he so dreaded to hear again.

"Dear Mr. Ketchum, you didn't really think you could avoid me forever, now did you?" Lawrence said, moving closer to the bound trainer.

"What do you want?" Ash said, struggling in his bindings as his attacker grinned.

"It's very simple, old friend. What I want…is revenge."

Throughout the hallway, a loud scream could be heard as Ash was crushed by Ivysaur's vines. Bianca, Gary and Melody bolted out of their rooms, as well as several other hotel guests. Bianca screamed as she too was pulled in by the vines. "Well well, I see that you have a girlfriend now. I suppose I should make you suffer emotionally as well," Lawrence grinned as Bianca's arm had pressure applied to it by the grass Pokemon's vines, causing her to cry out in pain. Ash growled in anger, before a voice could be heard.

"Umbreon, use Secret Power!"

The Dark Pokemon's gold markings lit up as it jumped in front of Ivysaur and released its attack. The vines released their hold on Ash, long enough for him to jump out and run toward Lawrence. "YOU SON OF A!" he cried, slamming his fist into Lawrence's head. He staggered back a bit, recalling Ivysaur into its Pokeball. Bianca fell toward the floor, but she landed ontop of Ash, causing both of them to fall to the floor. They got up just in time to see the Collector jump through a window and disappear into the night. Gary looked at the two before calling to his partner.

"Come on Umbreon!" he shouted.

"Umbri!"

Melody rushed by followed by an Espeon. "Espeon, let's follow them!" she shouted to her partner. "Espi!"

"You guys stay here, we'll be back soon!" she yelled over her shoulder. As some of the hotel guests either went back into their rooms or went out for some fresh air, Ash looked Bianca over before she hugged him tightly. "Are you ok?" he asked her. "I'm the one that should be asking you that!" she said. Ash shrugged while looking at her, "I've been through worse."

Bianca sighed at his reply. "That's what I've heard."

Ash helped her to her feet and turned to go back inside his room, but Bianca stopped him. "Wait, we should go notify the police about this, don't you think?" she said. He looked back at her. "Can't it wait till morning?" "No! He might get away and try something worse on you!" Ash sighed and turned back to her. "Ok, let's go…"

As he passed her, she whispered in his ear, causing him to blush madly.

"I heard what you said earlier…boyfriend."

R&R, thanks


End file.
